


daisy chain lovers

by Beyond_the_Grace



Series: kindness blooms [1]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/M, Flowers, GOOD CHILDHOOD, Gen, Good Petunia Dursley, Harry Potter was Adopted by Other(s), Nice Petunia Dursley, Not Canon Compliant, Pre-Canon, Rare Pairings, Regulus Black Lives, Regulus Black-centric, So not canon, Tattoos, for the aesthetic, intentionally lowercase, kind of, more regulus is with petunia instead
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-17
Updated: 2020-05-17
Packaged: 2021-03-03 03:14:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,702
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24237877
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Beyond_the_Grace/pseuds/Beyond_the_Grace
Summary: Regulus leaves the magical world behind after surviving the cave.a tale of flowers, tattoos, love and child acquisition.or the one where regulus falls for petunia evans and harry has a better childhood
Relationships: Petunia Evans Dursley & Harry Potter, Regulus Black & Harry Potter, Regulus Black/Petunia Evans Dursley
Series: kindness blooms [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1773583
Comments: 24
Kudos: 669
Collections: 5 Star HP Works, fics that were so good i didn't finish my homework





	daisy chain lovers

**Author's Note:**

> the result of a love of rare pairs, star and flower names and an intense love of regulus black. this was nearly called 'ever fallen in love' after the song by the same name. it didn't quite fit.

the first tattoo regulus black received was his only magical one and the only one not of his own design. the snake and skull stood out awkwardly across his daisy pale skin, a constant reminder of his foolishness and arrogance but also as a reminder of what not to do. he was sixteen and terrified, standing before the murderous dark lord who commanded servitude or death. there was a very good reason that he had not followed his brother into gyffindor and this reason would remain on his skin forever.

* * *

the next tattoo came as soon as he’d faked his death. well, more straight after he’d woke to find out he’d been in a coma for three months and hidden by his house elf. the second he was well enough regulus had disappeared from the wizarding world, presumed dead by both sides of the war, and went to a tattoo shop where he got the leo constellation across the small of his back. it had been painful but nothing could compare to the magical branding that had been his first. for the first time hope began to blossom

* * *

a year later he fell in love with a muggle woman, named for the flowers displayed at her window, who had found herself bored with her life in a way he could sympathize with. they were both the less loved of two siblings and both had seen their whole lives planned out from a young age. neither were quite satisfied with this expected future. a star and a flower, children from traditions of very different breeds.

“i don’t want to be a stupid house wife, why should my sister have all the adventure?” she’d asked one night, a month nearly to the date after they’d met. “maybe i want to be something too.”

that night they got matching four leaf clovers on their ankles, not as couple tattoos but as a promise to never be what was expected of them.

* * *

“my mother expected me to marry the right girl and to make up for all the shame my brother had bought, i just couldn’t hack it anymore.” regulus confessed “i wasn’t even sure i wanted a wife yet alone the ‘right girl’”

it was the first time he’d even alluded to the relationship with evan rosier that he’d left behind. he planted a forget-me-not where he’d last seen the boy. he made peace with his mourning.

“he told me that he wanted to name his son dudley” his love had replied in disgust “and i would have let him.”

* * *

time passed. she got a job at a small bookshop that focused on intersectional feminist literature. he learned about the world he’d been taught to despise. he got more tattoos to hide the ugly black one on his arm. she bought a small house. he bought a flat. they spent more time together at one of there’s than alone at their own. regulus tried not to feel guilty for ignoring the war raging outside.

“why do you wear that necklace if you hate it so much?” his hand reached up for the green locket that he still couldn't destroy, he spent most days looking for answers.

“because i nearly died for it.” he’d replied honestly, he could never lie to her.

on their six month anniversary he got a cross tattooed against his left hip bone for the religion she had rejected and the tradition he had. he also got an invitation to meet her parents, one he knew he couldn’t extend to his own.

“it’s a pleasure to meet you, mr evans.” he shook the man’s hand trying not to think of his family and their view echoing in his ear _filthvermindirtdirtdirt._

“please, it’s henry.” the man had a soft and kind face, eyes as green as emeralds. as green as a muggleborn girl he had tried so hard to forget from his old potion master's parties. oh, evans. his lungs filled with water, flooded with dread. how could he be so stupid? “what did you say you do?”

“i, uh, have an apprenticeship at a tattoo parlour.” he neglected to mention the large inheritance and the gold he’d liberated before his ‘death’.

“hmm.” the man sounded unimpressed. “y’know my son-in-law is a policeman. helps the community and all that. did you do well in school?”

regulus saw then, what he should have seen before, what his brother must have felt all those years after he’d been put into slytherin. he saw the sour look on petunia’s face and understood the pain of being compared, not because one was better but because one was so obviously worce. the evans’ meant well but given the choice between james potter and regulus black he had always fallen short.

“daddy, reggie did very well.” he had always fallen short, except to his flower. his flower who had only ever bloomed for him. “he’s a great artist, i don’t want lily’s police officer.”

“darling,” her mother was soft, a kind and traditional housewife. “we mean no harm, we just want to know he’ll take care of you. men with proper jobs can do that far better.”

“i take care of me.” and she did. petunia had spent her weeks in a bookshop run by the granddaughter of a suffragette and the son of a hippie, she’d learnt how to lace guns with roses and plant flowers on the graves of any man who didn’t know the meaning of the word no. petunia had found regulus and had seen a way to turn all the bitterness she had held for her sister and put it into anger at a world that determined she was lacking for never being enough. regulus had never had to look after her, he had stood with her instead.

* * *

that night he told her about his magic, how he’d always planned to say something but it had hurt and he had to know she was the one before he could break the statue of secrecy. she’d already known there was more in the world than what had appeared. after her sister he had expected her to get mad at him, to leave him but she laughed. she told him she had known but that she’d had to grow used to the idea. she shocked him. they toasted a drink to james potter, who had torn their siblings away from them but who had brought them together.

* * *

they married before they moved in together. it was old fashioned but the only thing they never managed to agree on was whether to keep his flat or her house. the night before the wedding he planned out a bouquet to cover his arm where the dark mark stood out. he was a blazen of colour already but it had been her flowery beauty that saved his life so he designed a collage of wild flowers, posies, pansies and poppies, roses, carnations and petunias, anything but lilies.  
her whole family had been invited, except her sister, all their common friends they’d made at clubs and neighbours, their colleagues and even the cat they shared. it was still a small affair, held outside in the midst of spring. edelweiss flowers decorated the tables whilst marigolds climbed up the arch at the end of the isle.

“growing up petunia was the bossiest, bitterest and pettiest child you could ever meet,” petunia’s cousin spoke, giving their combined best man/maid of honour speech. “she threw tantrums unlike any other six year old. when she was eighteen she came home to say she had found the man she would marry. he was the most unpleasant bloke you could ever meet, he was rude and demanding and borderline racist.”

everyone looked uncomfortable, one of the ladies from the bookshop glared at regulus as if daring him to say something racist. he shared a smirk with his wife, guessing where this was going.

“when she was twenty my dear cousin came home announcing that she had a new job and when her mother asked where the nice man with the management job was she turned around and said this, and i still remember it as it is the most proud i have ever been of anyone, ‘fuck that, i want something beautiful’. she’d only gone and fallen in love with a jobless vagabond covered in ink. regulus and petunia are two of the most stubborn and sly people i have ever met, their arguments are terrifying and i think reggie may just be a little bit insane  
romeo and juliet pale in comparison to these two. the only way i can describe it is like hades and persephone but without the kidnapping and to be honest their cat is more terrifying than any three headed dog. i have never met two people who deserve each other more in the worst possible way. to petunia and regulus black.”

* * *

“i think i win the house debate.” petunia told regulus over the phone. she then hung up.

* * *

the war was over. regulus couldn’t believe it. he knew that the dark lord wasn’t gone for good, the locket proved that but for now he was dead and that was enough.  
the baby however was a slight problem. for some reason as aunt, petunia had full custody of the saviour of the wizarding world. how quaint. regulus couldn’t help but wonder where his brother was in all this mess, would potter not have made him godfather?  
harry was a sweet toddler, very excitable but still fairly easy. regulus did agree to move in with his wife in order to properly raise harry, their schedules lined up near perfectly. in fact most elements of their lives were lining up near perfectly. for the first time since black ink had marred his ivory skin at sixteen regulus felt the water leave his lungs. he could breathe clearly, he could do anything. they agreed to raise harry as best they could, equal parts muggle and magic, never learning the bitter taste of rejection and the chant of _secondbestsecondbestsecondbest_ that had haunted both young adults their whole lives.

* * *

regulus got a single petunia flower above his heart with the inscription _die to be reborn_

**Author's Note:**

> this is short and unedited but i just wanted it out, please inform me of any mistakes. enjoy.


End file.
